Master of Music (Composition)

The Master of Music is a professional research degree that prepares students for specialist careers in musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, performance, conducting, music therapy, jazz & improvisation, music psychology and performance science or interactive composition.

The MMus (composition) involves completion of a folio of works (50–60 minutes in duration). There is no dissertation requirement for this degree.

On completion of this course students should be able to:

• Apply the best practices of local, national and international standards in their professional performance in their chosen specialisation;
• Pursue an informed program of independent further study in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
• Provide leadership in the profession in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
• Use current technologies and assimilate the potential of emerging technologies to facilitate and heighten the dissemination of skills, knowledge and information;
• Value and participate in projects requiring team-work.

On completion of the Composition stream, students will have:

• Developed compositional skills and techniques to a professional level;
• Clarified a personal stylistic and philosophical rationale;
• Developed a greater understanding and knowledge of the professional world of composition.

Full-time and Part-time study options are available.

Candidates undertake the following subjects:

Seminars are undertaken across three semesters.

To be accepted into the Master of Music, students should normally have a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree in composition, or equivalent, with a final result of first-class honours or high second-class honours. Successful applicants will typically be embarking upon a professional career as a composer.

Application Procedure

Further details regarding how to apply are available via the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music website: mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees

Students are encouraged to provide as much detailed information in support of their application as possible and to discuss their application with a member of the Academic Staff prior to submission.

Certified transcripts of academic records at any tertiary institution other than The University of Melbourne must be forwarded with the application. If the transcript is not in English, a certified translation must also be provided.

Composition Folio

Applicants for the Composition stream are required to submit a selection of original music with their application. This should comprise two or three representative works only, at least one of which should be a sustained work of over 10 minutes duration. It should include at least one notated, bound score and at least one work written in the last 2 years. Recordings of MIDI versions are acceptable, however it is advisable to submit at least one example of a live or studio performance. All recordings, including electro-acoustic works, should be submitted on CD.

Applicants should also include a list of works composed (including instrumentation, duration, and date), together with a list of any publications (scores & recordings), performances and broadcasts to date.

Evidence of Scholarly Ability

Applicants intending to undetake the Minor Thesis option are required to submit a copy of their Honours dissertation or a substantial piece of scholarly writing with their application.

Evidence of research ability

Applicants are normally required to have completed a research project, component, subject or group of subjects that accounts for at least 25% of their work (i.e. Honours year), or 25% of one year accumulated over the length of a Masters course, and which has, or have, been conducted, and assessed, individually. Research carried out in groups should at least have been graded individually. This project, component, or subject(s) may include:

(a) any obviously research oriented project, subject or sustained piece of scholarly writing conducted for assessment, such as small theses, research essays, long essays, or studios; AND/OR

(b) any less-obviously research subjects, including practice-based subjects such as composition, performance or fieldwork, where there is also scholastic rigor as documented in a sustained piece of writing analogous to (a); AND/OR

(c) any subjects directed at the formation of research skills, such as methodology and reasoning, such as scientific reasoning, or legal reasoning, where a sustained piece of writing has also been produced.

Behavioural and Social Attributes: Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. They must take full responsibility for their own participation and learning. Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative environments and must therefore demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills which consider the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Disability: For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.
It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Research Masters degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who have a capacity for defining and managing a research project characterised by originality and independence. Their training equips them for more sustained and original work at the doctoral level or for applied research positions in a wider variety of contexts.

The University expects its research masters graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• An ability to initiate research projects and to formulate viable research questions;
• A demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report independent and original research on a closely-defined project;
• An ability to manage time to maximise the quality of research;
• An understanding of the major contours of international research in the research area;
• A capacity for critical evaluation of relevant scholarly literature;
• Well-developed and flexible problem-solving abilities appropriate to the discipline
• The ability to analyse research data within a changing disciplinary environment;
• The capacity to communicate effectively the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication;
• An understanding of and facility with scholarly conventions in the discipline area;
• A profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship;
• A capacity to co-operate with other researchers;
• An ability to manage information effectively, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the student's field of study.

Application Procedure
Detailed information for prospective Master of Music students regarding the application process, including application deadlines and the application form is available at mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees